Peking Opera School

The Peking Opera school was run by Master Yu Jim Yuen, a northern kung fu practitioner and a very stern teacher. He taught the children enrolled there (who were usually enrolled for 10 years at a time) the acrobatic and acting skills that would later introduce most of them into the world of Chinese Theatre and movies.

The Seven Little Fortunes were the school's best actors. Jackie Chan was one of these Seven Little Fortunes (there were actually more than seven) and when asked, Master Yu Jim Yuen said that Jackie was "not one of the best, but the naughtiest, yes."

Life in the Opera School

Practice was very strict. Training would take place 18 hours a day, this would include stretching, weapons training, acrobatics, martial arts and acting. Jackie Chan remembered constantly having to balance on a stool for an hour... on his head! If anyone fell off, they would be beaten and everyone would be made to start again. Jackie Chan said he would still have gone if he could change things but would never ever go back.